By midsummer, the Lower Price Hill Farm Stand had begun to feel like a regular part of the rhythm at Sassafras Garden.

What started as a way to supplement the loss of our neighborhood grocery store has quickly become something neighbors can count on. Each week, residents stop by for free, fresh produce, conversation, and a chance to connect with what is growing in the neighborhood.

The Farm Stand is led by neighbors and stocked with produce from the LPH Community Gardens, along with donations from partners. In June, the Farm Stand served about 30 people. By August, that number had nearly doubled. Popular items included cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, peaches, and Brussels sprouts.

The numbers are encouraging, but they only tell part of the story. The Farm Stand has also become a familiar gathering point, where neighbors ask about unfamiliar produce, trade ideas for meals, check in with one another, and spend time in a shared green space. Some come for produce. Others stay for garden activities, conversation, or LPH Fitness.

That matters in Lower Price Hill, where access to fresh food has become even more important after the neighborhood grocery store closed earlier this year. The Farm Stand cannot replace a full-service grocery store, but it does bring fresh food closer to home while giving neighbors another reason to gather at Sassafras Garden.

As summer continues, the work of the gardens is becoming visible in a practical way. Seeds, seedlings, compost, watering, weeding, and long hot days are turning into food that can be shared. Week by week, neighbors are helping shape the Farm Stand into something useful, welcoming, and rooted in the community.